Kerala, one of the most beautiful places to visit or live in India, has also become the first state in the country to have its own internet service. The announcement of the internet service was made by the Chief Minister of the state – Pinarayi Vijayan. Kerala government wants the internet service to be accessible to everyone living in the state. Thus, the government set up Kerala Fibre Optic Network Ltd (KFON), which has also received the ISP (internet service provider) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The minister tweeted that Kerala has become the first state in the country to have its own internet service. The KFON project can now be started, and the people living in Kerala can get internet as a basic right, the minister added.
Goal of KFON Project and Current Project Status
Under the KFON project, the BPL families will receive free broadband internet service. Over 30,000 government offices in the state will also be provided with free internet through the KFON project. This is definitely going to go a long way for the people of Kerala as well as the government. The state government recognises that the internet is a basic right of the people. Most low-income families can’t afford internet access and are deprived of the opportunities that people with internet access have. The KFON website says that 15,600 km of access OFC (optical fibre cable) has been deployed along with more than 5,000 km of backbone OFC. The project has an ambitious aim of giving 20 lakh+ people in the state free internet service by deploying 35,000 km of OFC. This is something that other states with a strong economy can also follow. Not everyone can afford internet service, and thus it is important for the state governments and the central government to work together and ensure that even people who can’t afford it are connected to the internet somehow. This will only propel India towards a better future.
